A lofty plan to reform funding for K-12 education dropped back to earth Monday, as House Education Committee members cited limited resources as the reason for toning down the school finance act.

Committee members took out $2.5 million in proposed additional funding for charter schools.

They decided to study establishing a boarding school for at-risk kids rather than start one.

And in the biggest change, they reduced a $4.4 million plan to give cash rewards to schools that show they have improved the performance of at-risk students down to a $250,000 pot of money that disappears after this year.

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, who helped craft the original form of the bill, took the changes in stride. "It was a concept too quick, too fast for the school finance act," he said.

Of the $250,000 study, Romer said that in the current economic climate: "It's excellent to get a new program funded."

He and the House sponsors, who made the most changes to Senate Bill 256, hope that Colorado will qualify for an estimated $500 million in federal grant money that can be used for the at-risk cash incentives.

The education committee decided instead to dedicate $1.75 million to more traditional and established programs aimed at closing the so-called achievement gap by giving funds to struggling schools.

They also removed provisions that would have stripped $110 million from rural and small school districts and instead will take the money more equitably from the education budget.

Advertisement

"The reality of the budget set in," said Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, co-sponsor of the finance bill. "We had to pull back on some of it, but we tried to keep the spirit of it."

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

PARIS (AP) — Bye, New York! Ciao, Milan! Bonjour, Paris! The world's largest traveling circus of fashion editors, models, buyers and journalists has descended on the French capital, clutching their metro maps and city guides, to cap the ready-to-wear fashion season. Full Story